


I Was The Lightning

by morpheoMancer



Category: Sleepless Domain (Webcomic)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Growing Out Of Power, Magical Girls, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-18 14:14:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29610654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/morpheoMancer/pseuds/morpheoMancer
Summary: Jane Greene, a.k.a the magical girl Storm Witch, has finally aged out of service to the City.  Bereft of her magical powers, she must reckon with her past and forge a path to the future.
Relationships: Jane Greene|Storm Witch/Benjamin Greene
Comments: 1
Kudos: 6





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> As part of the Sleepless Domain extended Original Character fan canon, I decided to finally put to the page the story of Jane Greene, mother of the twins Maria and Elizabeth who eventually form Team Witch. Please enjoy.

It had been the soundest sleep Jane had managed in her six years at the dorm.

It wasn’t that she slept badly the rest of the time either. She’d fallen into bed after the night’s patrol and been out within moments. No dreams had troubled her sleep, and she hadn’t even had to get up halfway through for a glass of water. She greeted her alarm with a yawn and a smile, rather than the usual groan.

All in all, it was a great start to her morning. One that came to an abrupt end as she got a good look at herself in the mirror.

**_“NO!”_ **

Jane’s shout echoed through the dorm, as her hands shot to the cheek beneath her right eye. Her sigil, the flash of lightning on her cheek, was gone, replaced with a stream of tears as her legs buckled. She barely kept herself standing, her free arm braced against the sink.

“No, no no, not this soon…”

The words were automatic. In the deep, dark recesses of her mind, she’d known this was coming. Most girls aged out long before she had. But it still felt…

Unfair.

Jane finally became aware of the gentle knocking at her door. The resident assistant. Right. Someone… someone had probably heard her.

With trepidation, Jane approached the door and leaned against it.

“Jane? Are you there? Is everything alright?” Came the muffled voice on the other side.

“I’m fine.” Jane croaked out. “Sorry for worrying you. It’s just… my… I’m…”

“My sigil is gone.”

There was silence on the other side.

“...Do you want to talk?” The RA asked, her voice barely audible through the door.

Jane shook her head, realizing the obvious only a moment later. A pounding headache was coming on, and all she wanted to do was curl up in her bed.  
  
“N-not right now. I… I need to go see my manager as soon as possible. Um. What’s… what’s the protocol with this… this situation and school?”

“I’ll let them know what’s happened. You can take the day off, and we can talk about further arrangements tomorrow. Is there anything else you need?”

_Yeah. Give me back the lightning._ “No. I’ll… I’ll be okay.”

_Founder willing._

Jane stumbled to her kitchen counter, grabbing a protein bar and a bottle of water. Forcing the bar down felt like it took every ounce of will she had left, and she sat on her bed with the water bottle in hand.

_Gotta talk to Tor. Talk to school. Figure out college._

The thoughts arrived on their own. Jane just sat and stared at the wall.

After six and a half years, her vigil was finally over. There was now no reason for her to spend four hours every night running through the city, fighting monsters and narrowly dodging death and injury. 

Jane felt like she was going to throw up.

\---

Tor Odson stood as Jane entered his office and, moment’s later, enveloped her in a hug. This was an impressive feat; even at 18, Jane was over six feet tall and still growing.

“I can see why you’re here. Have a seat. Kettle should be just about ready, if you want some tea.”

“Please.” Jane croaked. She’d managed to keep some water down, but she still felt nauseous. As Tor bustled over to his office’s kitchenette, Jane collapsed into a chair and brushed the hair out of her eyes. That was another petty thing she was having to get used to; the oddly bold-shaped bangs she’d grown used to had lost whatever spark was keeping them in place.

“So. Finally aged out, then?” Tor asked gently as he pressed a hot mug of tea into Jane’s hands. It was her favorite kind, steeped hot and then cooled with a splash of cold water so she could start drinking immediately.

“...yeah.”

“I’ll make the calls for your sponsorships. Do you want to put out a statement?” Tor sat at his own desk and started shuffling around some papers.

“...no.”

“...I’ll just put out a generic retirement statement for you, then.”

“Sure.”

Tor’s next look couldn’t conceal the pity in his eyes.

“...Jane. You’re not the first magical girl who… got hit hard when they aged out. It’s going to be okay. I promise. If you want, there’s an organization I can put you in touch with. M.A.G.I.C.S.”

Jane blinked. “Um… alright, sure.” It was an automatic answer, but the reminder of other magical girls aging out had struck her out of the blue, despite how obvious it was. There was one person she needed to talk to. More than anyone else.

“Alright. There’s a couple other things we need to go over now that you’ve aged out, of course. If you can just have a look at these papers…”

\---

Jane liked Tor well enough, but he never seemed more talkative and boring than when Jane had suddenly realized there was another place she desperately wanted to be. Nonetheless, she’d done her best to set through his explanations, and even managed to work up the nerve to talk a bit about college options. It had taken just about everything she had left to _not_ sprint out of his office when they were done, but now that she was on the street again she’d broken out into a brisk run. She could have been out for a nice bit of cardio, for all the people she sped past noticed.

It didn’t take her long to reach her destination. Mama Maho’s Mahou Diner had been something of a second home to Jane since she’d first started living at the dorms, and this time of day it was all but empty. In fact, the closed sign was up, but Jane knew from experience that Molly Maho never kept the door locked while she was inside.

The ding of the bell as Jane entered the diner heralded heavenly comfort, and moments later a familiar form peered out of the kitchen.

“We’re closed right now Darlin’, but if you just needed a seat- wait, Jane?”

Molly Maho emerged from the kitchen. She was a stocky, broad-shouldered woman and a head shorter than Jane, with greying brown hair curled into a multitude of puffs and kind brown eyes. She wore a plain red apron, and on her right forearm sported a massive tattoo of a red boxing glove.

Molly stared at Jane for a few moments, then slowly approached her.  
  
“Jane, darlin’...”

“...H-hey, Mrs. Maho. You can probably see that I’ve… I’ve… finally aged out…” Jane said, trying and failing to inject a note of levity into her voice. “I…”

The dam she’d erected so she could speak to Tor without crying shattered. Tears started to stream from Jane’s eyes, and she let out a wracked sob as Molly hurried forward and embraced Jane in another hug.

“It’s alright, darlin’. Let it all out.” It was a little awkward, hugging a woman a head shorter than her, but Molly’s arms were strong and the gentle rubbing of her hand on her back gave Jane the excuse she needed to fully collapse.

“I didn’t… I didn’t want… I didn’t want to stop…” 

It took a few minutes for Molly to gently guide Jane over to the nearest booth. As Jane finally ran out of tears, Molly squeezed Jane’s hand. “Think you’ll be okay while I whip something up for you?”

“Yeah. Thanks, Molly.” Jane slumped against the table. As she half-listened to Molly bustling around in the kitchen, she rubbed her fingers together. To think, just last night, that was all it took to get a spark of lightning going.

She felt her chest heave, but she had no more tears to shed, and frankly Jane was already exhausted from crying. In the places where the grief had spent itself, anger and resentment were starting to pool. It was a dull, hot ache that still felt better than the hollowness it replaced.

The clink of glass against the table pushed Jane out of that headspace for a moment, and she pushed herself up to look at what Molly had provided. A tall glass of iced tea and a slice of carrot cake.

“Bless you, Molly.” Jane dug in as Molly once more sat across from her.

“Still sinking in, I take it. Well, you just come on by whenever you need, alright? I’ll let the kids know you’re welcome.” Molly smiled at her. “And that being said, you’re a hardworkin’ young woman with a good head on your shoulders. You’re gonna be okay, y’hear?”

Jane nodded, more out of obligation than sincerity. Still, between the carrot cake and the praise, a bit of warmth had returned to her chest, and her stomach didn’t feel nearly as troubled.

“Your manager told you about M.A.G.I.C.S, right?” Molly asked once Jane had polished off the carrot cake.

“Um… he definitely mentioned it.” Jane muttered. Now that she’d had time to decompress, the earlier meeting with her manager was… a bit of a blur.

“They help magical girls who have aged out stay on their feet. Not just with life skills…you’ve been living in the dorms for years now, I know you can take care of yourself there. When the power goes away, it can leave you listless. Even if you had plans, nothing can really prepare you for that feeling.”

Jane glanced at Molly’s tattoo.

“...how did it feel… having to give up being Power Punch?” She asked, locking eyes with the older woman.

“Well, I can tell you I didn’t get this tattoo because I felt _good_ about losing my powers, y’know.” Molly said with a chuckle. “...But I’ve gotten it refreshed since then because… well. Just because you don’t have the powers doesn’t mean those years go away. They’ll stay with you forever. But now you get to do more than that.”

Molly smiled. “You’ve already got yer major picked out, if I recall? Gonna be an engineer?”

Jane nodded, her eyes going back to Molly’s tattoo. _Just because you don’t have the powers doesn’t mean those years go away._

“That’s the plan. I’m going to need to figure out a new place to exercise, I guess. Now that I’m not getting four hours of cardio every night.”

“Staying active is good, just don’t push yerself too hard, alright?”

“I’ll think taking it easy.” Jane lied. 

“...Thanks for the cake. I… I feel a lot better.” At least that part was true.

“Y’take care of yourself, then. And keep coming back. I love seeing you here.” Molly squeezed Jane’s hand and smiled at her with a warmth that filled Jane’s heart.

“I will, Molly. Thank you.” She glanced at the walls, laden with posters and photos of magical girls past. “...Guess it’s time I got you my own little gift, huh?”

“Only if you want one up here.” Molly said firmly.

“Gotcha.” Jane rose from her table. “Let me help you get stuff ready for the rush. Not like I have anywhere to be.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jane tries to find something to do with her time now that she's between school and aged out.

The Downs was supposedly one of the oldest parts of the city, but Jane had long suspected that was an excuse employed by people who wanted to explain away it’s decrepit nature. Not that she disliked the place; her parents had always forbidden her from going near the Downs before she’d escaped to the Future’s Promise boarding house, and she’d made it a semi-regular part of her city-spanning route. She was familiar with it now, if not a true native of the neighborhood.

A more accurate (if bleaker) description of the Downs, Jane thought, was ‘poor.’ Breaches often went sparsely repaired or not repaired at all, and the gaunt nature of empty buildings was hard to avoid. This was where much of the city’s illicit business was done, which meant improvised stills, growing operations… and that meant tough and ruthless people to run and guard those things.

Dressed in her gym wear… a discreet black jacket and leggings with a single vertical yellow stripe on the arms and legs… Jane walked confidently through the streets, headed towards a gym she’d visited once or twice during her stint as a magical girl. No one bothered her, and few even spared a second glance. The mixed feelings in Jane stirred further, as the quiet contentment of obscurity clashed with the desire for recognition, which was itself abraded by a gnawing guilt at wanting that recognition.

The gym itself wasn’t quite in the Downs. It was just a few blocks away in West Town, close enough to probably have ties to some of the gangs there while being able to partake of the mildly more savory reputation of the other neighborhood. After what felt like an eternity in her own head with her storm of feelings, Jane found herself standing outside the West Town Gym; at least her feet still remembered the layout of the city if her mind wasn’t going to be _ occupied _ . She took a single deep breath, and headed in.

_ I’m just another customer. One seeking some… additional lessons. But just another customer. Relax. But not too much. _

“Heeeeeeeeeey, welcome to West Town Gym.” The man at the desk grinned at Jane in what he probably thought was a flirtatious way. He might as well have been trying to put the moves on a slab of concrete. 

“Hi. I’m looking for a new gym, and a guy I know, Valencio, recommended this place. Do you do memberships?” Jane asked, keeping her voice level.

“Yeah, yeah, we do those. Monthly and yearly. There’s a big discount for the latter-” The man said, pulling out a pricing pamphlet, which Jane snatched up and quickly flipped through.

“I’ll take it.” A wad of cash hit the man’s desk. “The name’s Jane Greene.”

The man did a double take at a yearly fee being so casually dropped in front of him, but managed to recover his wits enough to shove it into the register and start pulling out some forms. “Right, right. I’m Buddy, and, well, I guess you’re a woman who knows what she wants. Jane Green, you said?”

“With an extra E after the N.” Jane confirmed. “While we’re at it, I’m looking for some other lessons. Know anyone with a talent for knife fighting?” Best to be blunt about it, while she still had the edge.

Buddy looked her up and down at that. “Right, Valencio said you’d be asking about that. If you really want to learn your way around a blade, yeah, I can teach you a thing or two.” He opened a drawer and produced a couple of rubber knives. “Not part of our  _ normal _ offerings, you understand, but perfectly legal. Got some excess energy to burn through, I’m guessing?”

“Something like that.” Jane said with a shrug, holding back a snap. The man hadn’t actually been impolite, after all. “So, when can we get started?”

“Eager, I see. I actually have time to give you a quick primer, if you want.” Buddy picked up the rubber knives and gestured deeper into the gym, where she could see a ring. “Just let me check with a couple of our clients while we head over.”

Jane nodded and followed behind Buddy as he worked his way through the equipment, chatting with a client or two before stopping next to a vertical leg press, where a man was just stumbling to his feet.

“Aaaayyy, glad you ain't skipping leg day!” Buddy said to the man. He had black, combed-back hair, haunted eyes, and a lean build. Probably good in a fight, if Jane was any judge.

“Hahah, never. I see you got a new client?” The man gave Jane an appraising look, an easy smile and relaxed stance failing to disguise a worried countenance.

“Yeah, Valencio's colleague, Jane. She told him that she wanted to learn some knife fighting defense techniques, so he sent her to me.” he explained, showing the man the rubber training knives. ”We're going to spar in the ring right now, want to join us?”

Jane bristled a little at Buddy dropping so much information right off the bat, but he seemed to trust the man… and he seemed to catch Jane’s reaction.

“Nah, sorry, Needles done did me a new tattoo on my right hand today, so I cannot strain it right now.” he explained, showing the bandaged hand.

“This 'Needles', are they good?” Jane felt driven to ask. “I’m looking to get a tattoo done myself.”

“She is the best. See for yourself – all of these are her work.” The man rolled up his sleeves to show all the ink Needles had done on his arms: a red thorny rose wrapped around a switchblade, a colorful jukebox, various skulls here and there, and some others, but most the prominent was on his right bicep - a snarling infernal hound with spiked collar, red glowing eyes and a quaff hairstyle. It was definitely the most intricate tattoo Jane had seen on an actual arm.

Jane scanned the tattoos with her piercing grey eyes and nodded. “I'll pay her parlor a visit then. Could you please give me the address?”

The man nodded and gave her the street. “Let ‘er know Sylvester sent you.”

Jane nodded. “Thanks, Sylvester. See you around.” She caught Buddy’s eye and gestured at the ring. “Are we gonna get that lesson started, or what?”

\---

Jane nodded at the RA as she returned to the Future’s Promise dorm. It was about an hour til lockdown, and she felt exhausted, sweaty, and bruised. It was the most comfortable she’d felt since aging out. She still hadn’t adjusted to going to sleep when the barrier went up, but hopefully now, having spent the better part of an hour or two sparring with Buddy, and then doing a conventional full-course workout, she’d be able to sleep through an entire night. First things first, of course: a hot shower.

As soon as Jane had gotten clean, she grabbed another protein bar and flopped onto her bed. It was, all told, a pretty good day. If she looked at it objectively, she’d even be able to call it great. She had money, a clear path through college, a new gym, something to do with her time.

_ And no more lightning. _

Jane felt her jaw clench. No matter how hard she worked, how much she tried to focus on other things… that thought kept coming back. It was like her brain had gotten addicted to the feeling of sparks flying through her fingers, of electricity racing through her body… of the feeling of fighting in slow motion.

Jane rolled over and started rhythmically punching her pillow. It wasn’t  _ fair. _ The magic had brought her freedom, had secured her financial future, helped her earn respect and adulation and, more than anything, helped her protect the city.

Why did it have to feel so empty being gone, and why did she have to feel so guilty about even having that feeling?

Jane felt the tears return. More than anything… she didn’t want to leave that part of herself behind. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jane tries to find something to do with her time now that she's between school and aged out.

The bell over the door rang, and Jane caught the tattoo artist just as she jolted out of a doze.

“Fuck! Ah, sorry, you’re fine, I just-” the artist babbled, before pausing as she took in the stranger who’d arrived at her tattoo parlor. Jane was significantly taller than her, and was still wearing her black jacket with the yellow stripe down each arm. Jane felt a little self-conscious, but the tattoo artist didn’t seem to think Jane had taken a wrong turn, at least.

“You’re Needles, right? Sylvester at the gym pointed me in your direction.”

“Ah, yeah, that’s me. So, liked what you saw?” Needles grinned, clearly taking pride in the free advertisement that came from client recommendations.

“Yeah. I’m looking for something basic, but it would be going here.” Jane pointed to the cheek just beneath her right eye. “Can you do that?”

Needles started to chew her lip as she considered the difficulties. “I mean, technically, I can give it a shot, but facial tattoos are difficult… I really wouldn’t recommend it for someone’s first tattoo. Why not something on the arm-?”

Jane shook her head, and rummaged in a pocket before pulling out a scrap of paper.

“The position is important. Just… here. This is what I want.”

Jane offered the scrap of paper, which she’d torn from some magical girl magazine in Tor’s office. It had been taken only a couple months ago, just before her first talk with Tor about the process for dealing with aging out. Really, the only difference between the picture and Jane now was a certain bright bolt of lightning.

And, both right in front of her, Needles couldn’t help but connect the dots between them.

“Oh. That’s you.” Needles looked from the scrap of paper back up at the woman. “...That  _ is _ you, right? Not just an uncanny resemblance to a younger sister?”

“It’s me.” The woman set the scrap of paper down on Needles' desk. “...The name’s Jane, if it matters. So… Can you do it?”

Needles twisted nervously in her chair, visibly weighing her options. Jane hoped that the implications were enough to impress the importance of the location.

“Listen, I get where you’re coming from, but tattoos  _ hurt _ , and if you flinch or jolt at the wrong time, a facial tattoo will go very wrong very fast, okay?”

Jane nodded. “I get it. I won’t move.”

Needles sighed. “You say that, but-”

Jane suddenly loomed over Peggy. It was a mean trick, one she didn’t like to use, but when you were approaching two meters in height it wasn’t hard to be intimidating. 

“I. Won’t. Move.” Jane’s voice never rose above a speaking level, but if Needles hadn’t been sitting down Jane probably would have bowled her over. Jane stepped over to the tattooing chair and took a seat. “If you can do the work, I’ll do my part to make sure it’s finished.”:

“...Also, you have to pay for it.” Needles said weakly, still finding her breath. She lost it all over again as Jane dropped a fat stack of cash on the table next to the photo.

“Well?” Jane stared at her, and Needles sighed.

“Fine. But with the catch that I do a short line on your arm  _ first _ so that you at least have an idea of what you’re getting into.” To Needle’s visible relief, Jane nodded in agreement. Needles began to prepare her tools, while Jane did her best to relax and prepare herself.

\---

It hurt. Jane would be lying if she didn’t admit that. But it didn’t hurt half as bad as she’d been bracing herself for. Maybe she’d just gotten used to it, after all the claws and barbs and fangs she’d dealt with over the past six years. Maybe it was just too important to let a little pain get in the way.

There had been a couple breathless moments as Needles had applied the tattoo beneath Jane’s eye. Jane’s lip had trembled, and she’d felt her eyes start to water, but nothing that had provoked Needles into calling off the process. It was only once Needles had finished her work and given Jane a chance to observe in the mirror that Jane remembered to breathe.

“Now, you’re going to have to avoid touching it for a while. When it’s healed enough for you to wash, make sure you use plain soap. There’s a couple kinds of lotion you can use to keep it from drying out.” Needles paused to examine Jane’s face. “...How’s it feel?”

“...Hurts. But it’s good.” Jane’s expression finally shifted slightly. She felt… relief. Pride. Excitement..

“...Y’know, I’ve heard about other former magical girls getting tattoos of their sigils…” Needles said by way of conversation, still filled with curiosity about Jane’s decision. “Is that just… a thing some of you do?”

“...I dunno about the rest of them.” Jane’s hand clenched as she stared at the window. Evening was starting to come along. “...I just… I don’t want to let those years drift away from me.”

“Well, thanks for the cash. You have a fine evening, and remember me the next time someone needs a tattoo.” Needles paused. “Maybe tell them that facial tattoos cost a tramload extra, though.”

\---

Jane let her mind drift as she departed the tattoo parlor. It helped distract from the pain, and she trusted her feet to carry her wherever she needed to go in the city. Though, that was another thing she was going to miss… lightning coursing through her legs, letting her sprint like a bolt from the blue, or leap up to and down from buildings without fear-

_ Dammit, I got the tattoo, didn’t I? Can’t I let the past be for five minutes? _

Jane grimaced, which comboed straight into a wince as her tattoo protested at her face stretching. She took a quick turn into an alley to regain her composure, taking a few careful breaths, letting her expression relax.

She glanced up as another shadow crossed the alleyway and stopped. Two shadows against the setting sun.

“Hey there, miss.” The voice was the kind of faux-friendly you found in pre-city gangster films, the kind the city’s own gangs sometimes tried to emulate. Jane immediately started to back away.

“Hey now, no need to be scared.” The voice drawled on. “Of course, it’s dangerous for a young lady like yourself to walk around the Downs without protection. My friend and I’d be happy to escort you around for a modest fee.”

“I don’t think that’ll be necessary.” Jane answered cooly, before risking a look behind her. Directly into a dead end. Of course. These two were probably familiar with the territory. There was a fire escape, but it was well out of reach for the average person… especially if they happened to be, for example, struggling with two assailants.

“Well, yeah, I can see why you’d say that. Big tough lady like yourself, fancy tattoo and everything. You know, Needles’ doesn’t usually do face tattoos. Must have cost you a pretty penny.”

_ Shit. _ Jane’s brain automatically shifted to Magical Protector mode. If these two had realized she’d paid Needles that much, they might go after her-

The shift in her stance didn’t go unnoticed. “Easy there, miss.” This time, the words were accompanied by a metallic clink, and Jane could see the metallic gleam of a knife in one of the muggers’ hands. “All we want is your wallet. Just reach into your pocket, toss it on the ground, and everyone’ll be on their way.”

“There’s not any money left in it.” Jane lied, continuing to back away, keeping her eyes on the knife.

“Oh, don’t worry, we’ll be the judge of that.” The muggers kept following her into the alley, both of them still smiling coldly.

Jane stopped, and took a deep breath, before holding up a hand. “Alright, alright. I don’t want any trouble.” She reached for her pocket.

“That’s the way, miss, just-”

Jane turned, bound three steps, and  _ jumped. _ One of the muggers shouted, but Jane’s hands was already on the bottom of the fire escape. Being nearly two meters tall had its advantages, and with a grunt of exertion, six years of daily core training were brought to bear. As she pulled herself up and over the bars of the fire escape to its first level, she heard a clang, and turned her head in time to see the muggers’ knife spinning back into the alleyway.

“What the fucking hell was that?!” The knife-man’s partner shouted. “Get back here!”

“...No?” Jane answered, sparing the muggers only a slight glance before she sped up the fire escape.

Most magical girls didn’t do a great deal of off-duty training. Even for the most combat-inexperienced girl, magic could generally make up the difference, and four hours of cardio and combat every night was more than enough to keep them sharp. Their free time off duty was better spent with friends, family, hobbies, or the idol business… things that distracted from the nightly ordeal.

But Jane had spent that time training. She’d go for runs that traversed entire districts. She’d climb up and down the sides of buildings without the assistance of her powers. She’d lift weights and do sit ups and practice yoga. Between school studies, she’d do research on the city. Everything that could give her an edge at night, whether she was at the height of her power or running low on gas, was something she invested time in.

_ Okay, so maybe there’s more than one reason you can’t let this go. _ Jane thought to herself as she sprinted across the rooftops away from the alleyway, cutting a long diagonal across several roofs until she found one where she could descend into another street.

She glanced around getting her bearings, but there was no sign of the muggers. Unsurprising; they hadn’t looked particularly spry.  _ Probably could have beaten them both. _ Jane thought, and then shook her head. No point fighting anyone who wasn’t a monster. Not unless it was life or death. Too easy to get herself hurt.

Still, she felt… light. Exhilarated. Her breathing was that extra bit harder than even her most thorough exercise routines would push for. It had been a bit of danger, a bit of excitement-

_ Don’t forget Needles. _ Shit. Right. Jane’s mental map of the city was pretty accurate, and it didn’t take her long to find the right street. After making sure there wasn’t any sign of the muggers, she returned to Needles’ shop.

“Oh, hey, everything alright?” Needles was cleaning up her equipment, and Jane realized that it was closing time. 

“Oh, uh… well, I ran into two… muggers. They noticed I’d gotten my tattoo here and thought I must have money. I wanted to make sure they wouldn’t go after you next.”

Needles shook her head. “Fucking bastards- no, you don’t need to worry about me, alright? I’m all paid up on my ‘protection fees.’” She looked at Jane. “Let me guess, you beat them to a pulp?”

“What? No. I’m not looking for any fights.” Jane laughed a bit. 

“Well, good. Best to avoid the Downs for a bit, still. If you catch my drift."

Jane sighed and nodded. “Fine. But I’ll be back sometime, alright? For more ink.”

Needles grinned. “Looking forward to it.”

\---

_ “The time is now 9:00 PM. This is the last stop for Line A. Thank you for riding with us.” _

The soothing voice of the tram station intercom jolted Jane awake. She’d run a few other errands after her encounter, and apparently that had drained whatever energy she’d had left. Ridiculous. Just a week ago, she’d still be wide awake and ready to go.

At least the last stop was by Future’s Promise. She could get back to the dorm and get to bed. Rest. Her legs seemed sluggish, after all. It would be bad to get caught outside.

Jane was on autopilot again. She stared into middle distance, the occasional bob of bright, unusually colored hair crossing her vision as some magical girl hurried away from the dorm to a meeting place. A week ago, Jane would have been one of them. There was a tall building close to the dome where she’d usually begin her patrol, getting a good vantage point and looking out for any monsters near there, then pickling one of the cardinal directions to start zig-zagging towards.

_ You could still go there. There’s enough handholds that you could reach the roof, even without your powers- _

Jane gritted her teeth and shook her heads. No. Absolutely not. She wasn’t about to get herself killed, not after surviving this long. She shifted gears, jogging the rest of the way to the dorm, focusing on getting there before her thoughts led her astray.

“Oh, thank the Founder, there you are- wait, what the hell?” Jane’s RA, Tess, stood to welcome Jane as she entered the dorm, than halted and stared at her. “...Jane, why do you have a sigil again.”

“Just a tattoo, Tess. Later.” Jane muttered as she speed-walked through the lobby.

“Wait a second Jane, you can’t just-”

Jane’s stride had already taken her to the stairwell, which she started to take three at a time up to her dorm room. Tess’ questions faded into the background. She didn’t need to explain herself to Tess. Not right now. Too tired.

The bedsprings protested as Jane fell onto her mattress. Returned to her apartment, the exhaustion of the day had caught up with her. The tattoo was sore, she felt sweaty and winded from the altercation with the muggers. What she wouldn’t give to transform… that always helped to refresh her just before patrol.

Not that she was going to patrol ever again.

Nuh-uh.

Jane felt frustration welling in her chest, and started to strip off her clothing. Hot shower, protein bar, bed. It would feel better in the morning.

She hoped.


End file.
